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NAGORNO-KARABAKH: HEAVY-WEIGHT NEGOTIATORS NEEDED
Vestnik Kavkaza
Sept 20 2011
The ongoing negotiations over a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue can be much more productive if more influential politicians
took part in the search for consensus. Dr. Svante Cornell, Director of
the Institute for Security and Development Policy, one of the leading
experts on Asia-Caucasus issues, believes that this is the least the
United States could do to draw more world attention to this problem.
"I would say" - stressed Dr. Cornell - "that one quick thing to do,
will be to increase the level of seniority of the diplomats involved
in these group negotiations. There is nothing wrong with midlevel
diplomats or midlevel ambassadors who are engaged in this. They are
serious people. But the problem is that in this type of geopolitically
laden conflict you have to have a much higher level of seniority and
the personalities of the negotiators. They have to have a direct access
to their state leaders and their foreign ministers and secretaries
of state. We don't have it today. That would be one thing by which
the United States could easily signal that we are now taking this
conflict seriously".
Another very important element for a successful outcome of the
negotiations would be a more detailed planning. If politicians had
a clear vision of what lies ahead of them, they would be more likely
to look for a consensus.
"The second issue would be to start planning for post-conflict
reconstruction. And the more you plan for the day after the agreement
has been signed, the more likely that the conflicting parties take
the negotiating process seriously", - said Dr. Cornell.
Vestnik Kavkaza
Sept 20 2011
The ongoing negotiations over a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue can be much more productive if more influential politicians
took part in the search for consensus. Dr. Svante Cornell, Director of
the Institute for Security and Development Policy, one of the leading
experts on Asia-Caucasus issues, believes that this is the least the
United States could do to draw more world attention to this problem.
"I would say" - stressed Dr. Cornell - "that one quick thing to do,
will be to increase the level of seniority of the diplomats involved
in these group negotiations. There is nothing wrong with midlevel
diplomats or midlevel ambassadors who are engaged in this. They are
serious people. But the problem is that in this type of geopolitically
laden conflict you have to have a much higher level of seniority and
the personalities of the negotiators. They have to have a direct access
to their state leaders and their foreign ministers and secretaries
of state. We don't have it today. That would be one thing by which
the United States could easily signal that we are now taking this
conflict seriously".
Another very important element for a successful outcome of the
negotiations would be a more detailed planning. If politicians had
a clear vision of what lies ahead of them, they would be more likely
to look for a consensus.
"The second issue would be to start planning for post-conflict
reconstruction. And the more you plan for the day after the agreement
has been signed, the more likely that the conflicting parties take
the negotiating process seriously", - said Dr. Cornell.